Posts tagged ‘Judas Iscariot’

Today’s scripture from John tells of Lazarus rising from the dead, and his being risen as the reason for executing Jesus, and Lazarus also! That’s ironic, as well as cruel: to execute a man for rising from the dead, and to also kill the source of life. That’s as crazy as executing a person for killing someone, since killing is wrong.

But it is interesting for us to try and understand the reasons given for executing Jesus, from a 1st century ‘Jewish under Roman domination’ perspective. Some think Jesus was killed by jealous Jewish priests and elders; some think it was because of disrupting the temple business when he overturned the tables.

But maybe we’re looking for a specific reason for Jesus’ execution. The Romans didn’t need to be specific, or to announce their reasoning, or to justify their actions to anyone. A parking ticket is enough ‘reason’, and the rumor that Jesus might be some kind of Jewish messiah that might disrupt Jewish subjugation—that suspicion was enough.

Do you suspect Jesus is a revolutionary now? If we really did as Jesus asks us, would we be arrested?

Pray for peace, which is revolutionary.

Bill

Peace Mennonite Church keeps a prayer list for those in need. If you need prayer, or want to e-mail our pastor, e-mail billd @ peacemennonitechurch.net (Take out the extra spaces to use this e-mail—the spaces confuse spam generators).

Pray with us!

We are praying as a church, and attempting to follow the centuries’ old tradition of praying with other Christians three times a day. We are following the prayer liturgy at www.commonprayer.net

Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Peace Mennonite Church of Columbia, MO Permission is granted for one-time non-commercial use with proper attribution.

7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.

9Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.

10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me.

11Do not cast me away from your presence, and do not take your holy spirit from me.

12Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and sustain in me a willing spirit.

Habakkuk 3:2-13

2O Lord, I have heard of your renown, and I stand in awe, O Lord, of your work. In our own time revive it; in our own time make it known; in wrath may you remember mercy.

3God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of his praise. 4The brightness was like the sun; rays came forth from his hand, where his power lay hidden. 5Before him went pestilence, and plague followed close behind. 6He stopped and shook the earth; he looked and made the nations tremble. The eternal mountains were shattered; along his ancient pathways the everlasting hills sank low. 7I saw the tents of Cushan under affliction; the tent-curtains of the land of Midian trembled. 8Was your wrath against the rivers, O Lord? Or your anger against the rivers, or your rage against the sea, when you drove your horses, your chariots to victory? 9You brandished your naked bow, sated were the arrows at your command. Selah You split the earth with rivers. 10The mountains saw you, and writhed; a torrent of water swept by; the deep gave forth its voice. The sun raised high its hands; 11the moon stood still in its exalted place, at the light of your arrows speeding by, at the gleam of your flashing spear. 12In fury you trod the earth, in anger you trampled nations. 13You came forth to save your people, to save your anointed. You crushed the head of the wicked house, laying it bare from foundation to roof. Selah

John 12:1-11

12Six days before the Passover Jesus came to Bethany, the home of Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 2There they gave a dinner for him. Martha served, and Lazarus was one of those at the table with him. 3Mary took a pound of costly perfume made of pure nard, anointed Jesus’ feet, and wiped them with her hair. The house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume. 4But Judas Iscariot, one of his disciples (the one who was about to betray him), said, 5“Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?” 6(He said this not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he kept the common purse and used to steal what was put into it.) 7Jesus said, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. 8You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me.” 9When the great crowd of the Jews learned that he was there, they came not only because of Jesus but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 10So the chief priests planned to put Lazarus to death as well, 11since it was on account of him that many of the Jews were deserting and were believing in Jesus.

Peace Mennonite Church keeps a prayer list for those in need. If you need prayer, or want to e-mail our pastor, e-mail billd @ peacemennonitechurch.net (Take out the extra spaces to use this e-mail—the spaces confuse spam generators).

We are praying as a church, and attempting to follow the centuries’ old tradition of praying with other Christians three times a day. We are following the prayer liturgy at www.commonprayer.net

Copyright 2011. All rights reserved. Peace Mennonite Church of Columbia, MO Permission is granted for one-time non-commercial use with proper attribution.

In Proverbs today, wisdom is personified, made into a person, and the person is a she-person!

I don’t know exactly where this tradition of wisdom came from, but I seem to remember this as a Greek idea maybe. Nevertheless, Christianity, and Judaism before it always have thrived by gathering its arms around every religion or spirituality with which it came into contact. And Christianity and Judaism share a certain difficulty with identifying and naming the female part of God, and the female part of reality.

But Proverbs does today, and we can celebrate that. But does our idea of a god, always have to be that of an old man with a long flowing white beard. Have you ever tried to care for a beard like that? Soup is out of the question for lunch.

So today again, when we find something unusual, or different in Bible reading we are confronted with same old limitation: it is we who are limited.

Maybe today we can leave open our idea of God, and let God fill us with a new idea. Maybe there is a god who is neither male or female, but both.

2Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;

3though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah

4There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.

5God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.

6The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.

7The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

8Come, behold the works of the Lord; see what desolations he has brought on the earth.

9He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

10“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”

11The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Proverbs 8:1-21

8Does not wisdom call,
and does not understanding raise her voice?2On the heights, beside the way,
at the crossroads she takes her stand;3beside the gates in front of the town,
at the entrance of the portals she cries out:4“To you, O people, I call,
and my cry is to all that live.5O simple ones, learn prudence;
acquire intelligence, you who lack it.6Hear, for I will speak noble things,
and from my lips will come what is right;7for my mouth will utter truth;
wickedness is an abomination to my lips.8All the words of my mouth are righteous;
there is nothing twisted or crooked in them.9They are all straight to one who understands
and right to those who find knowledge.10Take my instruction instead of silver,
and knowledge rather than choice gold;11for wisdom is better than jewels,
and all that you may desire cannot compare with her.12I, wisdom, live with prudence,
and I attain knowledge and discretion.13The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.
Pride and arrogance and the way of evil
and perverted speech I hate.14I have good advice and sound wisdom;
I have insight, I have strength.15By me kings reign,
and rulers decree what is just;16by me rulers rule,
and nobles, all who govern rightly.17I love those who love me,
and those who seek me diligently find me.18Riches and honor are with me,
enduring wealth and prosperity.19My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold,
and my yield than choice silver.20I walk in the way of righteousness,
along the paths of justice,21endowing with wealth those who love me,
and filling their treasuries.

Mark 3:13-19a

13He went up the mountain and called to him those whom he wanted, and they came to him. 14And he appointed twelve, whom he also named apostles, to be with him, and to be sent out to proclaim the message, 15and to have authority to cast out demons. 16So he appointed the twelve: Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); 17James son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); 18and Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Cananaean, 19and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.